What is Craniosacral Therapy?
Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle, hands on form of bodywork treatment. It works deeply with the nervous system by affecting the craniosacral system: the cerebral spinal fluid, the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and the sacrum. The craniosacral system has its own rhythm. It is not the heartbeat, it is not the breath. It is the first rhythm to come into the body at conception and the last to leave after death. It is our primary rhythm, yet so subtle, that some don’t even know of its existence. In a healthy body the cranial rhythm is between 9-11 times per minute. This rhythm is the expression of the craniosacral fluid being pumped from the cranium through the membranes surrounding the spinal cord and to the sacrum. That expression or “breath” can be felt by an experienced practitioner, anywhere on the body. Imbalances can be detected through this subtle rhythm and contacts and gentle corrections can be made to help facilitate the body to return to balance.
Craniosacral Therapy has origins that can be traced all the way back to the 1800′s with Andrew Still, M.D. In the early 1900′s, Dr. William Sutherland continued the study when he proved that the cranial bones breathe or move. It was then included in the practice of Osteopathic medicine and then taught to other health practitioners in the 1970’s. Currently, there are several schools that teach Craniosacral therapy. Experienced practioners should have no less than 2 years of craniosacral training on top of another health related, hands on training.

How does Craniosacral Therapy Work?
The body strives for health and balance and often just needs gentle facilitation through craniosacral therapy to support this balance. Most of the contacts made in craniosacral therapy are light, less than the weight of a nickel. It is often said that the most profound work happens at this light and gentle level. The nervous system loves this work. It allows the system to deeply relax, to give the body time to rejuvenate and heal. With so much stimulus and stress in so many people’s lives, it is important to give the body a break from so much nervous system input. The stress of daily living, work related stress, and physical stress associated with chronic pain or illness can be interpreted in the body as an overload on the nervous system. When these patterns become deep seated, the body can be more vulnerable to illness and in turn, chronic issues.

What Can I expect in Craniosacral Therapy session?
Each session lasts 60 minutes. You lay on a massage table, face up (for most of the session) and fully clothed (loose, comfortable clothing works best). The practitioner will place their hands on an area that reflects the information that you have shared with them during the intake/interview. Each placement of hands, or “hold” in a Cranial session can last from a few minutes to 10 minutes or even longer. The work is quiet and still. Some techniques may immediately be felt as a “shift” or “change” in your body. Some may take a day or so to integrate and settle in. Overall, the sessions are very restful and relaxing. Often clients report feeling as though they have just had a 2 hour nap. Depending on the person, and their health and balance, there may be emotions that are felt during a session. Memories and events in their lives may come up during a session. Remembering these times in our lives and feeling the emotions often allows the body to process the emotion and move through it easily so it no longer needs to be “stored” in our system. This can allow for deep emotional and physical healing.

Who does Craniosacral Therapy help?
Craniosacral Therapy can support everyone. It can be used as a general “tune up”. That is, some clients come for sessions every month or so to keep themselves balanced and healthy. People find amazing results in the deeply relaxing effect on the nervous system. It can be used for specific treatment for TMJD (Tempromandibular Joint Dysfunction), inner ear imbalances, sinus trouble, head trauma, injury recovery, some autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit, depression, headaches, and more.
If you have more questions or would like to schedule an appointment for a Craniosacral session please contact Anne Marshall at 333-0729 or email at info@lifethymewellness.com . Appointments can also be made through Pam at 296-2225 with Inside Out Wellness Center.

Anne has been practicing Craniosaral Therapy for over 10 years. As a massage practitioner of 20 years, she added this specialty to address some of the issues that she was seeing in her practice that weren’t responding to therapeutic massage. She studied with Hugh Milne with The Milne Institute, Big Sur, California and worked with him as an assistant teacher for the last 9 years. If you would like more information on Craniosacral Therapy please check the Milne website at : www.milneinstitute.com .